March 2010

March Meeting

Current Trends in Polymers for the Medical Industry

The selection of an appropriate plastic for an application can be challenging. Beyond the requirements for physical and other properties, cost considerations and regulatory considerations, there exists are the consideration of industry trends. The consideration of these trends can help to better position your products than your competitor’s.

Speaker: Emmett O’Brien received his BS and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech. His Ph.D. research focused on the effects of moisture and ink exposure on adhesion and stresses in ink jet printer devices. After graduate school, he held a post-doctoral position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) where he continued his efforts in the area of polymer and adhesive durability. Emmett currently works at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tennessee. He spent three years supporting the tackifier and pressure-sensitive adhesive business and developed two patents in the areas of switchable adhesives and recyclable hot melts. Presently, Emmett supports the newest addition to our specialty plastics business, Eastman Tritan™ Copolyester. Emmett has published numerous peer- reviewed papers on the mechanics, durability and test methods of polymers and adhesives.

President’s Message

Congratulations to Don Witenhafer – Conference Chair, Robert Portnoy – Program Chair, and the entire Polyolefins committee for hosting another successful conference! The key to a successful technical conference is timely, relevant and innovative technical papers. The other key to a successful conference is the commitment from our Event Sponsors and Exhibitors. We again thank PMC Group Inc, ChevronPhillips, Dow, Ingenia, BASF, Ametek Westchester Plastics, Ribelin Sales, Amfine and all of our Exhibitors for their support of the conference and our mission of education. As manufacturing and technical resources grow around the world, advancement in innovation and technology accelerate. The SPE International Polyolefins Conference recognizes this trend will continue to reach further and expand our global efforts to identify and promote advancements that will help the entire industry.

I had the opportunity to visit with many of the participants during the conference and received much positive feedback. Most attendees are experiencing signs of recovery creating optimism and the positive energy that pervaded my discussions. We sold out every room in the hotel and should see solid positive financial results that will allow us to continue to support our mission of education.

The proceeds from this conference provide funding to further our mission of supporting education. The South Texas Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers provided the funding for Society of Plastics Engineers Student Sections at Lamar University, Texas A&M, University of Houston, University of Houston Downtown, Texas Tech, University of North Texas and other emerging programs in 2009-2010. We are proud to promote the education of plastics in these student sections and for the work that these student sections are producing.

Ayush Bafna will be kicking off our SPE Young Professionals network with a social networking event on March 5th, 6 p.m., at Sorrento Ristorante. If you are a young professional in the plastics industry we welcome you to join in the SPE Young Professionals group on LinkedIn to stay in touch for the next event or watch the SPE South Texas Website www.spe-stx.org. We have some exciting programs coming up for the balance of the year that I hope you will consider. In March, Dr. Emmett O’Brien of Eastman Chemical will explore trends in materials for the fast growing Medical Device Industry, discuss driving factors for these trends, and the new materials that are responding to the product requirements. In April we are looking for great weather to host our Frank Padula Memorial Golf Tournament and will close the year in May with an update from one of the Universities that we sponsor at the Awards Program.

There are many opportunities to be involved in the South Texas local section. To serve our large geography and busy schedules each month we host a number of informal events. Our monthly technical programs are usually hosted in the evenings at the HESS Club the second Monday of the month. We have an informal breakfast the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 a.m. on the west side and a lunch meeting the third Friday of each month in The Woodlands. This month on Friday, February 26 the SPE Young Professionals will be hosting a happy hour for networking. Information about all our events can be found on our website www.spe-stx.org. If you need more information on any events, want to volunteer in the section or have someone to personally welcome you and introduce you to others at a meeting please feel free to contact anyone in leadership listed on our website. They will be happy to help you get involved.

All the best!

Jeff Applegate
SPE South Texas President 2009-2010

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2073302&trk=hb_side_g

Join the South Texas Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers on Linked-In. Click on the above link and you will be directed to group page. Linked-In will serve as another communication tool for SPE-STX.

Linked-In  is a free web site for professional networking with over 40 million members as of May 2009.

Linked-In enables discussions and networking between SPE-STX members and those related to the plastics industry. Linked-In compliments the current SPE-STX web and membership to Linked-In is free. 

News Highlight
Linked-In SPE-STX group currently has 116 member as of 1 October. To date, the tool has been used primarily to promotes and discuss SPE-STX meetings. 

Members are also notified of meetings from board members plus email blasts sent by SPE International.  

As always, both the monthly newsletter and STPE-STX web site are the leading source of information on SPE-STX activities.  

Bulletin Board

Plastics Information: Check it Out

The Houston Public Library on McKinney has resources on plastics and polymers. Check out their catalog at www.hpl.lib.tx.us. If you are not near the McKinney location, you can arrange to pick up your books at your local branch.

The Fondren Library at Rice University has the most complete collection of books on plastics and polymers. This is also a prime resource for patent and trademark information, as well as other US Government documents. You cannot check out books there unless you join Fondren Library [$50], but you can arrange for books to be sent to your library by inter-library loan. Use their catalog at http://library.rice.edu/.

The next best place to browse is at the MD Anderson Library at the University of Houston central campus. South Texas Section has donated many plastics books to this library. If you plan ahead, you can get a TexShare library card from a library where you are a member, which will allow you to check out books from any U of H library. Their catalog is at www.library.uh.edu/.

Book Bag

	Joining of Plastics: Handbook for Designers and Engineers, 3rd edition Jordan Rotheiser, 2009 ISBN: 9781569904459 $130.00 This comprehensive “how-to” book describes all the principal fastening and joining methods used to assemble plastic parts, explaining the advantagfmixinges and disadvantages of each. Joining of Plastics also details which joining methods are most suitable for which materials and molding processes—invaluable information for design engineers and processors. Contents: Designing for Efficient Assembly Cost Reduction in Assembly Design for Recycling and Disassembly Assembly Method Selection by Materials Assembly Method Selection by Process Adhesive and Solvent Joining Fasteners and Inserts Hinges Hot Plates/Hot Die/Fusion and Hot Wire/Resistance Welding Hot Gas Welding Induction/Electromagnetic Welding Insert and Multi-Part Molding Press Fits/Force Fits/Interference Fits/Shrink Fits Snap Fits Spin Welding Staking/Swaging/Peening/Cold Heading/Cold Forming Threads: Tapped and Molded-In Ultrasonic Welding Vibration Welding Laser Welding
	Additives for Polyolefins Michael Tolinski, 304 pages, Jul-2009 ISBN-13: 978-0-8155-2051-1 $150.00 This book focuses on the polyolefin additives that are currently important in the plastics industry, alongside new additives of increasing interest, such as nanofillers and environmentally sustainable materials. As much as possible, each chapter emphasizes the performance of the additives in the polymer, and the value each relevant additive brings to polypropylene or polyethylene. Where possible, similar additives are compared by capability and relative cost. With major sections for each additive function, this book provides a highly practical guide for engineers and scientists creating and using polyolefin compounds, who will find in this book a wealth of detail and practical guidance. This unique resource will enable them to make practical decisions about the use of the various additives, fillers, and reinforcements specific to this family of materials. Contents: SECTION I: OVERVIEW OF POLYOLEFINS AND ADDITIVES 1 Introduction 2 Trends in polyolefin & additive use SECTION II: ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE 3 Antioxidants and heat stabilization 4 Ultraviolet light protection & stabilization 5 Flame-retarding additives 6 Additives for modifying electrical properties SECTION III: MECHANICAL PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT 7 Overview of fillers & fibers 8 Factors determining selection of fillers and fibers SECTION IV: APPEARANCE ENHANCEMENT 9 Colorants 10 Nucleation and clarity SECTION V: PROCESSING AIDS 11 Processing aids for molding 12 Processing aids for extrusion SECTION VI: OTHER MODIFICATIONS OF FORM AND FUNCTION 13 Reducing density: Polyolefin foams 14 Coupling, compatibilizing, recycling, and biodegradability 15 Cross-linking 16 Sterilization & radiation resistance 17 Aesthetics enhancement and surface modification SECTION VII: CONCLUSION: INCORPORATING ADDITIVES 18 Adding Additives to resin References Index
	Flame Retardants for Plastics and Textiles: Practical Applications Edward D. Weil, Sergei V. Levchik, 2009 ISBN: 9781569904541 $100.00 An overview of flame retardants that are either in commercial use or in advanced stages of market development, reviewed polymer-by-polymer, supplemented by a brief overview of mode of action and interaction. It is more of a “how-to-do-it” book than an academic study. As such, it names trademarked materials as well as products in active stages of development, gives suggestions for selecting among alternatives, provides suggested formulations, and offers a starting point for the compounder or plastics fabricator to pass commercial flammability requirements. Contents: Flame Retardants in Commercial Use or Development for Polyolefins Polystyrenes and Thermoplastic Styrene Copolymers Flame and Smoke Retardants in Vinyl Chloride Polymers – Commerical Usage and Current Developments Current Practice and Recent Commercial Developments in Flame Retardancy of Polyamides Flame Retardants for Thermoplastic Polyesters Flame Retardants in Polycarbonates and Polycarbonate Blends Commercial Flame Retardancy of Unsaturated Polyesters, Vinyl Resins, Phenolics and their Composites Flame Retardants in Commercial Use or Advanced Development in Polyurethanes Current Flame Retardant Systems for Epoxy Resins Flame Retardants in Commercial Use or Development for Textiles Comments on Flammability and Smoke Tests Overview of Modes of Action and Interaction of Flame Retardants Directory of Flame Retardant Manufacturers, Distributors, and Compounders
	Plastics Manufacturing Systems Engineering: A Practical Approach David O. Kazmer, 2009 ISBN: 9781569904626 $100.00 Plastics manufacturing is a highly interdisciplinary endeavor requiring knowledge related to materials science, physics, engineering, and management. Because of this diversity, the plastics process engineer interacts with many stakeholders, including customers, designers, materials suppliers, machine builders, mold/die suppliers, systems integrators, operators, quality engineers, and managers. With so many stakeholders involved, it isn’t surprising that many plastics manufacturing processes are not precisely engineered systems. The resulting processes can be poorly designed, requiring too much investment to achieve too little productivity. This book was written to educate and support plastics processing engineers, but is also highly useful to others involved with plastics manufacturing who are performing process development, research, and even machinery design. It uses a manufacturing systems engineering approach to provide guidance about plastics manufacturing as an integrated system with broadly applicable analysis of the underlying subsystems. Contents: Background, Plastics Manufacturing Systems, Heating and Cooling, Hydraulics and Pneumatics, Electric Drives, Process Sensors, Signal Conditioning, Data Acquisition Systems, Machine Controllers, Process Control, Process Characterization, Process Optimization, Quality Control, Automation, Statistical Labor Data, Material Properties, Unit Conversions, Matlab Primer
	Lawsuit!: Reducing the Risk of Product Liability for Manufacturers Randall L. Goodden, 2009, 359 pages ISBN: 9780470177976 $80.00 Reduce your exposure to civil lawsuits. Addressing product liability and laws in both the U.S. and internationally, this book helps product manufacturers and engineers develop and implement proactive processes that can reduce liability concerns and potential lawsuits. It discusses preventive measures in the engineering, development, and manufacturing of products and explains the procedures and processes manufacturers must have in place to reduce the likelihood of liability – as well as to provide the best defense in case of a lawsuit.
	Qualifications, Startups and Tryouts of Injection Molds W. J. Tobin, 2003, All inclusive CD $32.00 The truth is you don’t need fancy gizmos to do scientific molding. All you need is a machine where you can read the settings, an accurate weigh scale, and a computer. A universal setup guide only needs a little homework on your part to read each machine’s manual and the ability to read the settings. If you had a few days and an engineering textbook you could actually write these spreadsheets yourself! It is NOT MAGIC. This CD uses a practical, down to earth, easy to use approach to bringing a mold on-line and producing consistently good parts. CD contains both filled in tutorials showing what inputs are required and worksheets for you to fill in. CD Contents: Contents of the 90 page book. Spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel .xls files: Optimum fill calculation – the melt viscosity curve, Gate Freeze off, Cooling time, Cavity balance for multi cavity tools, Cp CpK calculator, Universal setup sheet – includes how to translate from one machine to another, a waterline map, Runner size optimization, and a calculator to determine your process window settings. Microsoft Word .doc Files: Mold Check List, Mold History / Maintenance forms. The text includes a complete explanation of the experiments to optimize your injection molding cycle. Other Topics are: Mold Maintenance – Inspection and General Maintenance, Mold hang and Mold Pull procedures, Mold Storage, Basic Chemistry, Quality Control/ Quality Assurance – Cp and CpK explained and how to use them, Sizing Sprues, Nozzles and Runners for your mold, Hard Copy of the Mold Check List, Mold History and a Data Form to fill out for the experiments, and how to calculate a process window that will allow you to adjust the process as it drifts and still make acceptable parts.
	Plastic Conversion Processes: A Concise and Applied Guide Eric Cybulski, 2009; 165 pages $70.00 Many books describe a single plastic-conversion process, like injection molding, but until now, none has described and compared several processes. This book provides a basic overview of seven conversion processes used in the industry. These processes account for more than 97% of all plastic products. Each chapter begins with a process attribute table to serve as a quick guide. The particular conversion process is then briefly described, along with a short history. To better explain each process, sections detailing equipment, tooling, and materials have been added. Also included are sections on design guidelines and on how to identify which process was used to manufacture a plastic part. Contents: Injection Molding Plastic Extrusion Blow Molding Thermoforming Reaction Injection Molding Rotational Molding Compression Molding
	Mixing and Compounding of Polymers: Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition Ica Manas-Zloczower, 2009; 850 pages ISBN: 978-1-56990-424-4 $249.00 Finally available in its second edition, this classic monograph covers everything from the basic principles to the various practical applications of state-of-the-art mixing and compounding. It discusses the basic mixing mechanisms encountered in polymer processing; the latest results in modeling, flow simulation and visualization, and scale-up rules for the most important batch and continuous mixers; the properties of various additives used in the plastics and rubber industry and their effects on the properties of the compound; working principles and practices for reactive polymer compounding; compatibilization mechanisms applicable to blends and composites; mixing practices in the current commercial mixing devices; key aspects of mixing at nanoscale; and scale-down of mixing equipment and fundamentals of microfluidics. Contents: Part I: Mechanisms and Theory Basic Concepts - Mixing of Miscible Fluids - Mixing of Immiscible Fluids - Dispersive Mixing of Solid Additives - Distributive Mixing - Distribution Functions and Measures of Mixing Part II: Mixing Equipment - Modeling, Simulation, Visualization Batch Equipment Simulation - Batch Equipment Visualization - Continuous Equipment Simulation - Dispersive Mixing Devices in Single Screw - Twin Rotor Mixers - Co-Kneader - Visualization - Scale-up of Mixing Equipment - Scale-down of Mixing Equipment Part III: Material Consideration, Properties and Characterization Solid additives (inorganic) - Solid additives (organic) - Compatibilizers (mechanisms, theory) - Material Consideration for Mixing at Nanoscale - Effect of Mixing on Properties of Compounds - Effect of Mixing on Rubber Properties Part IV: Mixing Practices Internal Mixers - Single Screw Extruders - Twin Screw Extruders - Intermeshing Twin Screw Extruders - Reciprocating Screws - Reactive Compounding - Farrel Continuous Mixer
	Injection Molding: Fundamentals and Applications Musa R. Kamal, Avram I. Isayev, S. Liu, 2009; 800 pages ISBN: 978-1-56990-434-3   $249.00 This book surveys the state of the science and technology of the injection molding process. It represents a comprehensive, balanced mix of practical and theoretical aspects for a wide range of injection molding applications. The authors of the 21 chapters are experts and leaders in their respective areas of specialization in the injection molding field. While it is not possible to cover all aspects of such a dynamic growing field, readers should find sufficient information and background to become acquainted, at various levels of depth, with key components of the science and technology of injection molding. Contents: Injection Molding: Introduction and General Background Injection Molding Machines, Tools, and Processes The Plasticating System for Injection Molding Machines Non-Conventional Injection Molds Gas Assisted Injection Molding Water Injection Techniques (WIT) Flow Induced Fiber Micro-Structure in Injection Molding of Fiber Reinforced Materials Injection Foam Molding Powder Metal Injection Molding Micro Injection Molding Internal Visualization of Mold Cavity and Heating Cylinder Injection Molding Control Optimal Design for Injection Molding Development of Injection Molding Simulation Three-Dimensional Injection Molding Simulation Viscoelastic Instabilities in Injection Molding Evolution of Structural Hierarchy in Injection Molded Semicrystalline Polymers Modeling Aspects of Post-Filling Steps in Injection Molding Volumetric and Anisotropic Shrinkage in Injection Moldings of Thermoplastics Three-Dimensional Simulation of Gas-Assisted and Co-Injection Molding Processes Co-Injection Molding of Polymers
	ANTEC™@NPE 2009 Conference Proceedings - Thumb Drive SPE, Chicago, Illinois USA, June 2009, Thumb Drive $250.00 In Chicago in 2009, ANTEC® (Annual Technical Conference), sponsored by the Society of Plastics Engineers, celebrated its 67th year of excellence. The largest peer-reviewed technical conference serving the plastics industry, ANTEC® is perfectly positioned to help the plastics specialist achieve new levels of professional development. Order the ANTEC® 2009 proceedings on thumb drive or CD-ROM. Includes 700+ papers detailing the latest developments in: Alloys and Blends, Applied Rheology, Automotive, Biopolymers, Blow Molding, Color and Appearance, Composites, Decorating and Assembly, Electrical and Electronic, Engineering Properties and Structure, Extrusion, Failure Analysis and Prevention, Flexible Packaging, Injection Molding, Joining of Plastics and Composites, Marketing and Management, Medical Plastics, Mold Making and Mold Design, Nano/Micro Molding, Plastic Pipe & Fittings, Plastics in Building and Construction, Plastics Environmental, Polymer Analysis, Polymer Modifiers and Additives, Process Monitoring and Control, Product Design and Development, Radiation Processing of Polymers, Rotational Molding, Thermoforming, Thermoplastic Elastomers, Thermoplastic Materials and Foams, Thermoset, and Vinyl Plastics.

Growth in the Medical Polymers Industry

Erin A. McLaughlin
LG Consulting
Somerville, MA 02144

Abstract

The healthcare industry is poised to experience both unparalleled challenges and growth as the Baby Boom generation ages. The steadily increasing volume of persons needing advanced care, new developments in diagnosis and treatment, and the increased lifespan resulting from these developments all combine to produce new opportunities in the area of medical plastics: new materials, processing and product design will make possible the next generation of medical products. During the 1980s 60 patents were issued in the area of medical plastics. That number jumped to 209 in the 1990s. During the first 4 years of the 2000s 218 patents were issued in this field. The growth of the medical plastics industry will only continue. The areas seeing the strongest growth will be discussed in this paper, as will likely future trends.

Introduction

The 2000 US Census reported 13.5% of the population in Massachusetts as being 65 or older, and 12.4% nationally [1]. This number is expected to grow dramatically over the next several decades. US Census projections put the increase of Americans between the ages of 65 and 84 at 44% between the years 2000 and 2050 [2] (Figure 1). US spending on healthcare was $1.42 trillion in 2001 [3], and is expected to grow to $3.1 trillion by 2012 [4].

A study conducted by the Congressional Budget Office into the growth of healthcare spending by the Department of Defense (DoD) found that overall healthcare spending by the DoD rose from $14.6 billion in 1988 to $27.2 billion in 2003. This dramatic increase nearly doubled the DoD’s healthcare spending, increasing it by 86%, during a time when active duty forces were decreasing. This trend was seen to parallel health care spending across the United States as a whole, where health care expenses increased by 76% during the same 15-year period (1988 to 2003). Contributing to this dramatic upswing in medical costs cited by the DoD is the large number of retirees leaving the armed forces, and increased utilization of health care [5].

Beyond this coupling of increased numbers of older Americans and increased health care utilization, many medical conditions are now ‘maintenance’ conditions—conditions with which people go on to live for many years with little to no decrease in quality of life when treated with appropriate medications or other techniques. Diabetes, high blood pressure, gastric ulcers are among conditions have long been in this category, along with devices such as pacemakers and artificial hips. Newly available drugs and treatments are continually creating maintenance conditions out of many cancers and diseases. Cardiovascular disease is one such condition that due to advances in detection and drug treatment is controllable. However, the advances that expand lifespans and preserve quality of life come at a cost. Cardiovascular disease accounted for $80 billion (14%) of the $572 billion (in 1993 dollars) in medical spending [6].

The thesis of this study is that there has been and will continue to be striking growth in the development of polymers and plastic products that relate to the health care industry as there continues to be dramatic growth in the healthcare industry due to the economic and generational changes.

Procedure

This study was performed by gathering data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office [7] on the number of patents issued and applied for in the area of medical polymers. It was decided that patents containing a combination of selected search terms in the abstract would be collected and analyzed. The search terms used included the following: Medical, Polymer(s), Plastic(s), Drug Delivery, Implant, Insulin. These terms were chosen as they would encompass several newer developments such as transdermal drug delivery systems, needle-less insulin injectors, as well as provide a broad view of types of developments occurring.

There were no year of issue constraints utilized outside of the limits of the USPTO database’s own, making the years of issue between 1976 and 2004. The year of issue for each patent was put into a spreadsheet along with the title and patent number. The list of applicable patents were sorted for any duplicates and from there resorted for year of issue.

In addition to looking at patents already issued the same search terms were used to locate patent applications. Applications for patents in this field will be used to determine if growth will continue for a specific category related to medical polymers.

This study does not profess to have looked at all patents issued involving plastics for medical use, but to provide a reasonable snapshot of trends within the industry, and ideas for where these trends may lead.

Results

The search technique utilized in this study generated 494 patents in the area of medical polymers. Of those patents there were 3 main categories: Polymers and polymer systems intended for medical use, medical devices utilizing polymer component that may be implantable, and drug delivery systems utilizing polymer components.

The results of the search may be further broken down to results by search term and year. Figure 2 represents the total number of patents by individual year. There is a dramatic 248% increase between the number of patents issued during the 1980s and during the 1990s. If the number of patents issued during the 2000s continues as it has during the first 5 years of the decade, the number of patents issued during the whole of the decade should slightly more than double.

However, this growth is spread across a number of sub-fields or types of application within the field. Figure 3 shows the distribution of the search results by key word and year of issue, and Table 1 breaks this information down by keyword and decade of issue. The upward trend in number of patents issued is strongest in the area of drug delivery, which shows 4-5 times the number of patents over the previous decade for both the 80s and the 90s.

The patent applications qualifying under the search parameters used number 223. This breaks down as 36 in 2001, 132 in 2002, 136 in 2003 and 142 in 2004. Further breakdowns of the patent applications by search terms shows can be seen in Table 2.

Discussion

The phenomenal growth in medical polymers over the last 15 years is quite clear. All patent topics within the scope of this study project strong growth going forward based on the number of patent applications published by US Patent and Trademark Office. This is growth that holds steady across each of the subcategories used in this study- During the 1990s the implants saw the least expansion at 75% over the previous ten years.

The category that used insulin as one of the abstract search terms generated a variety of results from devices for delivering steady doses of insulin, to syringe modifications and variations. One such example of a syringe modification is patent number 6,562,011, entitled a “Medication Delivery Device.” This device entails a syringe with a cartridge assembly for more accurate dosing of drugs and is not just limited to insulin delivery. The wide variety of search results is indicative of the potential in this field being unlimited in the scope of application.

The search results are equally as broad across the ranges of key words and range from innovative cancer treatments to new types of closures for vials. These results included the relatively new technology of transdermal drug delivery, which now make long-term, slow release of a drug possible in a non-invasive way. The most well-known transdermal application is the nicotine patch for smoking cessation, however use is spreading to birth control and other hormonal delivery [8], and nitroglycerin, used as a heart medication and also to stop premature labor [9, 10].

Other developments in the area of drug delivery include skin sealants containing biologically active compounds to fight infection and promote skin healing and avoidance of scarring [11]. Also this area include: Radiopaque biocompatible materials for use in medical devices and targeted drug delivery systems [12]; Chemotherepeutic-polymer systems for targeted, site specific treatment of solid tumors directly, or for postoperative treatment to ensure the removal of remaining cancerous cells [13]. One application outlines methods for targeting the pulmonary system by creating charged particles from biodegradable polymers and therapeutic agents to be used via inhalation. [14] “Method of Sealing a Medical Container with a Plastic Closure,” while not a radical new drug, still has a place in the medical plastics industry based on the large volume such containers and closures are used in modern healthcare [15].

Conclusions

There has been sustained, long-term growth in the field of medical polymers, which will be maintained over the next several decades as generational population shifts drive the need for advances in healthcare. This growth is not limited to just one sector of the medical polymers industry. Advancements of all kinds will find a niche in this booming healthcare market.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Eric Masunaga.

References

1 2000 US Census, www.census.gov,

2 US Census- Projections

3 http://www.mercola.com/2003/jan/22/healthcare_spending.htm

4 US health spending still outpacing economic growth, 2003-02-07 17:16:56 -0400 (Reuters Health)

5 Growth in Medical Spending by the Department of Defense, September 2003

6 Medical-Care Spending - United States, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, August 19, 1994

7 USPTO, www.uspto.gov

8 US Patent No. 5,980,932

9 US Patent No. 5,262,165

10 US Patent No. 5,817,697

11 US Patent No. 6,582,713

12 US Patent No. 6,475,477

13 US Patent No. RE37,410

14 US Patent No. 6,652,837

15 US Patent No. 6,681,475

Key Words

Medical, polymer(s), plastic(s)